How to “Do Disney” With Kids

We’re fresh off our experience with the Disney Social Media Mom Celebration and we have SO many fantastic updates, tips & tricks to share with you.

The #1 question you’ve been asking me while on this trip is Did you REALLY have fun, or was it hectic and crazy?

The answer is unequivocally 100% we had fun, (beyond that if it was mathematically possible!) and the reason WHY I know we enjoyed our time at the Disney Parks & Resorts and on the Disney Dream cruise so much boils down to the four following overarching principles.

1. Manage Expectations

We’re traveling with little kids, so we didn’t show up to the parks cold. We spent a good amount of time planning out what we wanted to do. We created a list of “must-do” rides and attractions and then prioritized that list into the three rides that we could pre-book with our daily Fast Passes, and the rest became “nice to do if the line isn’t too long”.

Our travel (and life) philosophy is to do less better, instead of more more more. And at the Disney Parks with little kids, less is DEFINITELY more as you are able to truly take in all of the incredible detail, creatively, and yes MAGIC that the Imagineers created. Running from place to place is just not fun for anyone, and a surefire way to wear everyone out.

2. Pack & Dress Appropriately

Now this is something we have been honing ourselves over our recent trips. What you wear and carry can definitely make or break your comfort.

I highly recommend comfortable clothing that isn’t frumpy. You are going to be taking pictures and likely going to look back on this experience for years to come, so put some effort into your outfit.

I’m a HUGE fan of matching or coordinating family outfits. It’s fun to get into the theme of Disney with some custom T-shirts, or even have the whole family wearing matching retro Mickey shirts.

Lightweight cotton dresses/rompers with sneakers is definitely my Disney style. I also like a cute denim short with a lightweight blouse, and again a stylish sneaker. I’ve worn flip-flops and flats to the Parks several times now, and I’m officially going to recommend against them. I had my feet stepped on several times (ouch!), and the flatness of flip-flops really fatigues your feet after a few hours. We’ve walked up to 12 MILES in one day before at the parks. Trust me on the sneakers. My FAVORITES are these from adidas (order at least 1 size down, I’m down 1.5 sizes) and New Balance, although a classic Superga is comfortable and versatile, too.

Next, you need one person in your family to carry a lightweight and comfortable backpack. This will carry your phones, wallets, sunscreen (don’t forget sunscreen!), water bottles, and snacks.

And don’t forget about your FLAIR. Please don’t be too cool for school and shun the Magic. Get yourself some EARS! My favorites are from this Etsy shop, but make your own if you’re crafty. I’m NOT so I support these awesome Etsy artists whenever I need something made custom.

3. Eat

Do.Not.Forget.To.Eat. Who wants a bunch of hangry kiddos? (Or moms!?). Plan out your meals just like you do the Fast Passes. Schedule your lunch. Schedule your dinner if you’ll still be at the park. Don’t wait until you’re hungry to start looking around for options. Odds are OTHERS are also hungry, and lines can definitely be long. Some of our favorite places to eat include the World Showcase at Epcot (The German Beer Hall and the Hibachi in Japan are tops!) and Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom. If you’re at Animal Kingdom, we LOVE Satu’li Canteen, although you can’t make reservations there, so be prepared to wait a bit for the line to move.

4. Stop & Enjoy

If there is one major takeaway that I learned on our most recent trip, it’s to stop and enjoy. The details that you’ll see when you do will make your day! Our kids love hunting for Hidden Mickeys and grabbing a Dole Whip or a Rose Gold Cupcake and a seat in the shade for 20 minutes will re-energize your whole family. And yes, the Dole Whip is worth the hype!

SO there we have it. My Top 4 Tips for how to Do Disney with your family and LOVE every minute of it. I’m going to be expanding this list with even more details coming soon, so be sure to keep an eye on our social posts for updates!

And as an added bonus, I have a giveaway to share with you all! We saw an extended preview for A Wrinkle In Time while were we on our trip, and I cannot WAIT to see the full-length film!

A Wrinkle In Time is hitting theaters on March 9th, 2018. Fans of the book have been anxiously awaiting this movie for a while! To help celebrate this release, The Hopping Bloggers have come together to bring our readers A Wrinkle In Time prize pack worth over $150 that everyone will want to win!

A Wrinkle In Time Prize Pack Includes:

About A Wrinkle In Time

Meg Murry and her little brother, Charles Wallace, have been without their scientist father, Mr. Murry, for five years, ever since he discovered a new planet and used the concept known as a tesseract to travel there. Joined by Meg’s classmate Calvin O’Keefe and guided by the three mysterious astral travelers known as Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, the children brave a dangerous journey to a planet that possesses all of the evil in the universe.

Welcome!

Hi! I am Candace, lucky mama of two boys and trend spotter of all things fashion, food, beauty, fitness, home and travel. I try it all and if I love it, I'll let you know. Our family philosophy is that you can live the good life with your kids in tow, you just have to find the right places, brands, and products to help you do so. Want to work together? Email me at candace at luxewithkids dot com.